OSUN: Another LG Parliamentarians Accuse Council Chairman Of Financial Fraud, Suspend Leader Of The House

•••embattled Chairman, Leader reacts; Says “we’re not aware of any allegations or suspension”

The Ife East Central LCDA Parliament, had on Wednesday 17th June suspended the leader of the House, Hon Reuben Oluposi Sangodele, while the Council Chairman, Dixon Amola was also accused of financial mismanagement.

This was the outcome of a parliamentary sitting held at the council secretariat, where majority of the lawmakers, among which include Deputy Leader of the House, Hon. Oyewale Oyelakin, who also presided over the sitting; Hon. Tunji Oyedeji, Hon. Kazeem Animasahun and Hon. Odeyemi Odeyinka were in attendance.

Pat of the reasons for suspending House Leader was negligence of duty, connivance with Council Chairman to siphon public funds, gross violation of the stated guidelines, among other unlawful acts.

The parliamentarians frowned at the refusal of the embattled House Leader to call for a parliamentary sitting despite joint decision of the House and the refusal of the Chairman, through the House Leader to report at the House sitting with a comprehensive financial statement of the Internally Generated Revenues, claiming that the last parliamentary sitting was held on the 24th of March, 2020, which is against the stated guideline of meeting at least twice in a week.

Speaking at the floor of the House, Hon. Odeyinka Odegbemi said, “I had known Hon. Sangodele Reuben for about two decades, and I have known him to be a square peg in a round hole, and his unfit to lead the house from onset, before he was imposed on the House.”

A Parliamentarian representing Modakeke Ward 3, Hon. Kazeem Adeyemi Animasahun declared the House Leader unfit to drive the affairs of the house. He also moved the motion for his dismissal from office, and the emergence of the Deputy Leader of the House, Hon. Oyewale Oyelakin as the House Leader, which was seconded by Hon. Moshood Oni.

It was also resolved at the floor of the House that the council properties at the custody of the dismissed House Leader should be withdrawn within the next 72 hours.

According to the reports, the last time Chairman came to the council secretariat was about five months ago, which had always been his accustomed way of calling for meetings with an interval of five months, as against the constitutionalized two meetings in a week, adding that the parliamentarians had asked on several occasion from the Chairman who was unduly absent at the sitting, to account for the salaries of civil servants, who are under the authority of the Local Council.

At the Parliament, it was stated that members of the parliamentarians were not aware of the monthly allocation, internally generated revenue and how it’s being spent by the council chairman, stating that the chairman has turned the council to one-man show.

On the other aide of the story, the Chairman simply said “I’m not aware of any allegations against me. I’m just hearing it from you,” while the Leader of the House said the State House of Assembly has passed law to stop impeachment and suspension of local government chairmen by the parliamentarians, adding that it also extend to the leaders of the houses.

According to him, “Can that happen in Osun State again? What those councillors did was void and null. The house of assembly has stopped that three weeks ago and no one can do that again.

“My Deputy burgled the office of the Council Manager and carried the mace. I can say I’m not aware because no notification has been sent to me”, Reuben Oluposi Sangodele said.